Representing the Prime Minister and the Government, the Minister of National Defence Mr. Panos Panagiotopoulos attended today the Doxology celebrated at the Church of Saint Dionysius Areopagite and laid wreath at the Monument of the Unknown Soldier in the context of the celebrations for the Presentation of the Theotokos and the Day of the Armed Forces.
The celebrations were also attended by the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. Evangelos Meimarakis, the Deputy Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. Ioannis Tragakis, the ‘Nea Demokratia’ party MP and Parliamentary Group Secretary Mr. Athanassios Mpouras, the member of the official opposition, MP in Piraeus A’ Electoral District & Islands with the ‘Coalition of the Radical Left’ party Mr. Theodoros Dritsas, the member of the ‘Panhellenic Socialist Movement’ party and MP elected in Xanthi Mr. Dimitrios Saltouros, the member of the ‘Independent Greeks’ party and MPelected at Achaia Mr. Georgios Davris, the member of the ‘Democratic Left’ party and MP in Piraeus B’ Electoral District Ms. Maria Giannakaki, the member of the ‘Popular Orthodox Rally’ party, former Alternate Minister of National Defence Mr. Georgios Georgiou, the former Prime Minister Mr. Ioannis Grivas, the former Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Mr. Dimitrios Sioufas, the MP in Athens A’ Electoral District with the ‘Nea Demokratia’ party Mr. Andreas Psiharis, the Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff General Michail Kostarakos, the Chief of the Hellenic Air Force General Staff Lieutenant General (AF) Antonios Tsantirakis, the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff Vice Admiral Kosmas Christidis, the Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff Lieutenant General Konstantinos Gkinis, the Deputy Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff Vice Admiral Evangelos Apostolakis, the Commandant of the Hellenic Coast Guard Vice Admiral Dimitrios Bantias, senior cadres of the Armed Forces and Security Corps, delegates of the District of Attica and the Municipality of Athens, former Chiefs and Deputy Chiefs of the Armed Forces, retired Armed Forces Officers and foreign Embassies’ Attachés.
After the completion of the celebrations, Mr. Panagiotopoulos made the following statement:
“Today we celebrate the Entrance of the Theotokos into the Temple of Jerusalem. It is a glorious Christian feast. However, at the same time we celebrate and honour the Hellenic Armed Forces, since the relationship between the Armed Forces and the Orthodox Christian faith are unbroken and incessant. With the protection and blessing of the Virgin Mary, the Champion Leader, our nation and the Hellenic Armed Forces were able to write magnificent pages of glory and heroism at the various fields of battles and contests.
Naturally, today we face a different financial war which is not conducted by military operations. A war that was imposed on us by the markets and one we must come out of victorious and upright.
The Armed Forces are once again at the frontline and assume a heavy historic burden, with dignity and pride. It is a mission they will carry out successfully, despite the budget cuts and any particular problems.
The Armed Forces, devoted to their duty and attached to their mission, maintain at a high level the country’s deterrent capability, their effectiveness and their operational readiness, ensuring thus the country’s national sovereignty, security, integrity and independence.
Many happy returns on today’s great feast. Many happy returns to our country’s Armed Forces”.
